Steering wheel



Jan. 22 1924. 1,481,533

C. W. BECK STEER ING WHEEL Filed May 2l. 1923 tended dan., 22,2, 1924-.

tlhllTEDSTTES hATEWt oneness iv. nnen, or nn'raorr, streamen, rorincari-'inw or persona Miserie-AN, a conroaarroiv or rarer-r ses;

sfrnnnrne var-inne.

Original application ledflepteinber $30, limi-2,

To all whom may concern.'

lle it lrnoivirthat I, @Hannes lll. Brion, a c' ,ir/.en ot the UnitedStateso't i'fiinerioat residing at Detroit!7 in the coun-ty ofldlayneand State oli lii'ltichigan, have invented cer tain new and usefulimprovements in Steer; ingr lllheels, :et which the 'following is aspecification, `re'ierence being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to steering wheels 'tor motor vehicles, boats andthe lilre, but refers particularly to Wheels wherein the spider or metalpart is preferably of the builtup and assembled type.

An object ot' the invention is to provide a strong and durable steering'Wheelin which the metal parts ot' the spider are rigidly securedtogether by simple and effective means.

Another object is to provide a strong and durable wheel which is simplein construction and which can be manufactured at a comparatively loWcost.

Another object is: to provide a steering wheel in which the spider armsare composed ot' two members only which preterably cross each other atthe center and which are rigidly and permanently secured together. lWith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists otcertain novel teas tures of construction, combination and arrangement otparts as Will be more fully* described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

This amilication is a division oI' my cov pending application, SerialNo. 589.475, tiled September 20, '1922i for steering Wheel and method.of 'forming the same.

ln the accompanying draWing:-

Figure l. is a top plan view of a steering` wheel. eiubodyinp; myinvention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Figure l Figure is afragmentary top plan vieiv with the cover plate rie-moved.

Referring now to the drawingr in which like characters oi referencedesignate correspon ding' parts throughout the several views, thenumeral l. designates a rim` preferably of Wood, supported upon a spider2 which includes a hub 3 and a plurality of radially extendingr arms 4;.The hub and arms may Serial No. 583,475. 2l, 1923. Serial No. El

IlJvided and this application. filed May be constructed of anysuitable'material and are prererably ot' the shape shown.

`llhe spider arms ffl are ilvirei'cralny composed `iVtvvo relativelylone' members and (l respectively which cross cach other atthe centerand which aresecured at their outer ends to the rim. These memberspreferably intersect each other at right angles above the hub and areprovided With openings and 8 Vrespectively which register with atapering` bore 9 in the hub. 'lhe lowermost member 5 rests upon anannular tlange 9 formed integral with the hub at the upper end thereofand is preferably provided midivay of its length with a substantiallyilshaped depressed portion. lO which engages a pair oit alignedrelatively deep radially extending grooves ll n the hub upondiametrically opposite sides ot t-he bore 9 and which receives thecentral portion oit the member 6. This member preferably engages a pairof aligned relatively shallon7 radially1 extending, grooves lf2 in theHangs 9', the arrangement being such that the upper sur tace oit themember 6 is 'flush with. the adjacent upper surfaces of the member 5.

To conceal the intersecting portions of the members 5 and G and toreinforce the spider construction, an annular cover plate i3 ispreferably secured to the flange 9 by means oit bolts 14- ivhich extendthrough the mem bers 5 and 6 respectively. The top plate 13 and the hubare preferably made ot die castings while the tivo arm members 5 and Grespectively are preferably made ot stampings. `Without departing' :tromthe invention, the assembly oiz these parts may be accomplished bycasting); the stamped arms into the top plate and hub by forming' theseTurris into one casting' around the arms thereof.

While it believed that troni the `toregoing description the nature andadvantages oi3 the invention will be readily apparent, l desire to haveit understood that 1i do not limit myself to what is herein shown anddescribed. and that such changes may be resorted to when desired, as`tall Within the scope ot what is claimed.

llVha-t l claim as my invention is:

l. A steering` Wheel comprising` a hub, an annular `flange carried bysaid hub, said hub and flange having grooves ot dit'erent lill) gf p1,481,533

depths formed therein, intersecting members engaging said grooves, a rimsecured to said members, and means yfor securing said members to saidflange.

A steering wheel comprising a hub, an annular fiange carried by saidhub, intersecting members engaging said flange, one `member having adepressed portion engaging a recess m said hub and receiving a portionof the other member, a rim secured to said members, and means forsecuring said members to said flange.

3. A steering wheel comprising a hub, an annularv flange carried by saidhub having grooves of Vdifferent depths, intersecting members engagingsaid groovesVsaid hub having a tapering bore, said members havingopenings registering with said bore, a rim secured to said members, andmeans for securing said members to said flange.

4. A steering wheelcomprising a hub, an annular flange carriedby saidhub, intersect- Y ing members engaging said fiange, one member having adepressed portion Vfor receiving a portion of the other member wherebythe adjacent upper surfaces of said members are in alignment, a Hatcover plate engaging the aligned upper surfaces of said members, a rim.secured to said'members, and means vcuring said plate, members andflange together.

A' steering wheel comprising a lnib, a pair of members haring portionscrossing each other over said hub, a cover plate eoneealing the crossedportions of said mem- I bers, and means for securing said plate and armsto said hub.

6. In a steering Wheel, a hub having a flange, intersecting armsengaging said lnib and-fiange with their adjacent upper snrfacesrinalignment, a flat cover plate engaging the aligned upper surfaces ofsaid arms. and means for securing said fiange, arms` and cover platetogether.

In testimony whereof I allix mv signature.

CHARLES W. mais.

